Critical Reflection Academy: Developing a Long-Term Peer- to-Peer Mentoring Program for Educators & Counselors in the fields of Migration and Employability
Erasmus+: Key Action 2 – Small-scale partnerships in adult education
Project number: 2022-2-DE02-KA210-ADU-000100857
Partnership:
– Institut für Berufsbildung und Sozialmanagement gemeinnützige GmbH (Project Coordinator), a migration-focused counselling and educational service in Thuringia.
– Eurobug Youth Work Ltd (Migrant-Led Non-Formal Educational NGO)
– CGE Erfurt e.V. (Migrant-led Non-Formal Educational NGO)
– Varenos Kulturos Centras, a municipal cultural body representing and managing 16 community centers
You can read about our previous project activities here
What is critical reflection in the context of this project?
“Critical reflection is the process by which educators systematically analyse and evaluate their teaching practices, beliefs, and values to gain a deeper understanding of their pedagogy and its impact on learners. It involves questioning assumptions, considering diverse perspectives, and exploring ways to enhance teaching effectiveness and learner outcomes, particularly in the context of cultural, social, and emotional aspects of learning.”
The idea is not only to make sense of experiences, but to foster transformation and growth, networks of peer support and communities of critical practice. Recognising this, the Critical Reflection Academy project is a cooperation between NfE and migrant-led/focused NGOs to explore the practical implications of critical reflection in an educational setting and engage 25 educators on a long-term program of critical reflection.
Critical Reflection Academy Training at EJBW, Weimar
A three-day training course was the third leg of our program, the Critical Reflection Academy was held in Weimar, Germany with the objective of examining the practical applications of critical reflection in an educational setting. The training brought together educators from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and gain insights from one another.
Some of the themes explored:
- Critical reflection is a structured process of analyzing and evaluating one’s teaching practices, beliefs, and values to enhance understanding of pedagogy and its impact on learners. It can be employed to improve teaching effectiveness and learner outcomes, specifically in the context of cultural, social, and emotional aspects of learning. Cultivating critical reflection as a practice within educational settings involves encouraging both educators and learners to critically examine their learning process.
Key Learnings
- Critical reflection serves as a valuable tool for educators working with migrants and in intercultural settings, including the topic of migration. Critical reflection can assist educators in managing expectations and establishing support systems to mitigate vicarious trauma. Critical reflection facilitates educators’ reflections on the broader context, enabling them to comprehend how their work fits into a larger social framework.
Training Format
- A self-directed approach was taken, with participants co-creating the program. The training explored the four-lens model for CR in education work. Additional sessions enabled networking, developing a P2P network, an Open Space, and planning contributions for the Casebook of critical reflection practices.
Next Steps
We are now inviting contributions to our casebook! We are looking for essays from educators in diverse contexts that can be used as a reflection tool for other educators. Essays can be on professional reflections, tools, exploring trends, or other topics relevant to critical reflection.
If you are interested in contributing, please submit an essay of between 1000 and 2000 words to us by 31.12.23 We will then review the essays and select those that will be included in the casebook. Apply here
There is a fee of between 200€ and 400€ for a contribution to the casebook. The fee will be defined together with the team and the writer.
